A591 shield
A591
Route information
Length43 mi (69 km)
Major junctions
North endBothel
Major intersections A595
A66
A5271
A593
A5075
A592
A5074
A5284
A6
A590
South endSedgwick
Location
CountryUnited Kingdom
Primary
destinations		Keswick
Grasmere
Ambleside
Windermere
Kendal
Road network
The A591 as it passes between Ambleside and Grasmere

The A591 is a major road in Cumbria, which lies almost entirely within the Lake District national park.[1] A 2009 poll by satellite navigation firm Garmin named the stretch of the road between Windermere and Keswick as the most popular road in Britain.[2][3] The 29.8 mile stretch between Kendal and Keswick was also named the UK's best driving road, according to a specially devised driving ratio formulated by car rental firm Avis.[4]

Route

The road begins (at its southern end) 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-west of junction 36 of the M6 motorway at Brettargh Holt roundabout with the A590 road (54°16′29″N 2°45′38″W / 54.2746°N 2.7605°W / 54.2746; -2.7605 (A591 road (southern end))), close to Sizergh Castle.[5] It bypasses the town of Kendal as a dual carriageway, this £1.9m 3-mile (4.8 km) section opened on 29 August 1971. It becomes a busy single carriageway road as it enters the Lake District. It bypasses the town of Windermere, closely following the north-eastern bank of Windermere. It then travels through the centre of Ambleside, follows the northern side of Rydal Water, passes White Moss Common, follows the eastern edge of Grasmere and passes the village of Grasmere. The road continues over Dunmail Raise and along the eastern edge of Thirlmere. Shortly afterwards it reaches the town of Keswick. It meets the A66 road at a grade-separated junction. Traffic then bypasses Keswick by following the A66 west for 2.2 km to a roundabout where the A591 resumes, continuing in a roughly north-westerly direction, with fine views over Bassenthwaite Lake. The road terminates at the village of Bothel, on the A595 road (54°44′09″N 3°16′24″W / 54.7357°N 3.2733°W / 54.7357; -3.2733 (A591 road (northern end))).[6] The Bothel to Keswick section has many acute bends and is particularly narrow in places, so care is needed when driving on it.

Storm damage and closure

The road was badly damaged during Storm Desmond on 5 December 2015 including a part washed away at Dunmail Raise and landslip adjacent to Thirlmere. The closed section of road between Grasmere and Legburthwaite reopened on 11 May 2016.[7] While the road was closed a new tarmac path for walkers, cyclists, and horseriders was built to the west of the road at Dunmail Raise.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "A591 to 2 California Terrace". Google Map.
  2. ↑ "End of the Road for the Great British Drive – UK roads drive motorists to despair". Garmin. 2 March 2009.
  3. ↑ "Britain's Favourite Road". Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  4. ↑ "UK's best driving roads revealed - Lake District's A591 comes out top". Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  5. ↑ Map of The Lake District: South-eastern area (Sheet OL7). Ordnance Survey. 2017. ISBN 9780319263334.
  6. ↑ Map of The Lake District: North-western area (Sheet OL4). Ordnance Survey. 2017. ISBN 9780319242438.
  7. ↑ "Storm Desmond: A591 reopens ahead of schedule". BBC News. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "New trail to link flood-hit lakeland at Dunmail Rise". BBC News. 28 April 2016.

54°29′38″N 3°02′19″W / 54.4939°N 3.0386°W / 54.4939; -3.0386 (A591 road)

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